1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an articles separating and supplying apparatus and method by which articles of a predetermined number to be packaged, are separated and differently positioned, to be supplied to a subsequent packaging process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a packaging machine, in a case where a plurality of articles to be packaged are arrayed in rows, with each row having a predetermined number of the articles, the articles are first separated into each row having the articles of the predetermined number and then the rows of a predetermined number are fed into a box or container to be packaged in one or more stages.
In a prior art packaging method in which such a plurality of arrayed articles are separated into each row having a predetermined number of the articles, it is customary to use an automatic separating apparatus that is called a channelizer obtainable on the market.
This automatic separating apparatus called the channelizer is constructed such that there is provided a plate member, that is called a plank, forming a transfer conveyor for transferring the articles and this plate member is laterally shifted along a separating guide. However, structure of this apparatus is complicated and expensive.
Also, in the prior art separating apparatus, it is usual that a number of the articles to be separated is counted by a counter and, upon the counter counting a predetermined number of the articles, feeding-in of the articles is stopped and then an automatic separating apparatus is operated to separate and supply the articles of the predetermined number. For this reason, counting of the articles to be next separated is started only after separation of the first counted articles and hence there is a problem that separation takes time.
Also, for a structural reason of the prior art separating apparatus, each time when articles to be handled are changed, an arrangement position of the counter must be changed and adjusted or a fitting position of a stopper for stopping feeding-in of the articles must be changed and adjusted, and this requires complicated and time-consuming work.